Second in a series

CEDAR FALLS - The 1970s was the decade of disco, bell-bottoms and platform shoes.

For the University of Northern Iowa baseball program, it was an era of change.

From toughening up its schedule and rekindling its rivalry with the University of Iowa to the addition of the aluminum bat, coach J.D. Anderson's club was forced to adapt.

Prior to the '70s, UNI's opponents were mostly from neighboring communities and states. That changed in 1971 when the Panthers took their game to the south.

In 1973, UNI was invited to play in the University of Miami (Fla.) Invitational. The Panthers, still a Division II team participating in the North Central Conference at the time, opened their season with eight games against Division I Michigan State, Army and powerhouse Miami (Fla.).

"We were really pumped up about that," said Tim Hackenmiller, an all-conference shortstop for UNI from 1969-73. "It was the first time we played on artificial turf."

In fact, the Panthers won three games on the trip and played the No. 3 Hurricanes to a 6-4 game in another contest.

Miami, which had three players drafted off that roster, took advantage of three UNI errors to sneak out the win.

"We weren't used to that kind of competition," Hackenmiller said. "It was a great trip, especially from the exposure we received. It seemed like from then on, they took some sort of spring trip."

During ensuing spring trips that decade, UNI squared off against the likes of North Carolina, Oklahoma State and Missouri. The Panthers beat Oklahoma State, 6-4, thanks to a mammoth home run from Randy Varner.

"The SID at Pan American told me it was the longest home run he's ever seen in that park," Anderson said afterward. "It went over 400 feet."

Also in 1972, for the first time in 38 years, Iowa and UNI competed on the diamond. The teams split the two meetings that year before the Panthers swept the Hawkeyes the following season.

In one of those games, Anderson had a run-in with Iowa coach Duane Banks.

"J.D. was yelling at the umpire and Banks started yelling at J.D.," Hackenmiller noted. "Finally, I remember J.D. hollering at Banks, 'Why don't the two of us go down to the (darn) bar and talk about it and let these guys play it out.' And they're just standing out there in the middle of the diamond where everybody could hear them.

"J.D. was a pretty care-free guy. He knew baseball, played professionally himself."

Anderson, who lives in Florida now, coached the Panthers for 19 seasons from 1966 to '84. He compiled 266 victories and a .513 winning percentage.

"He fit me really well," Hackenmiller said. "He was a hitter's coach. We didn't do a lot of bunting. We did when we had to, but he was pretty liberal. It was good playing for him."

The Panthers, led by Hackenmiller, outfielder Bruce Dinnebier, infielders Jim Clark and Ron Joyce and pitcher Duane Usher, captured the North Central Conference title. UNI finished 16-7-1 that year and third in the Midwest Regional Tournament.

"It was definitely one of the better teams I played on," said Hackenmiller, who currently resides in Waterloo. "We had two or three great left-handed pitchers and a couple righties. Pitching is really what made our team."

Pitching became a challenge during that era, too. Hackenmiller said aluminum bats were eligible his final two seasons in 1972 and '73.

"We liked it," he said. "I'm not sure how much the pitchers cared for it."